Our team spent today at a special needs orphanage called Los Gozosos. The name means “The Joy-filled Ones” and is a very appropriate description. Their are 12 children who live in this home and their faces reflect the joy and love that is at the center of this ministry.
We spent the morning putting two coats of paint on a large wall. The paint was thin, the rollers were not right for the job, and a Tammy was renamed Dot due to the speckles that ended up covering her face and clothes, but the job was completed and looked half-way decent. Afterward, we sat and enjoyed some wonderful fried chicken for lunch (some of the best I have ever eaten) with the staff and the children.
Then we were a part of little Helen’s 9th birthday party. Helen blew out her candles, enjoyed her cake, and opened her gifts while the photos were snapped. It was an incredibly special moment. If you don’t understand the significance of a birthday party its because you are not aware of the existence of most orphans with special needs in Guatemala. The majority of these children spend their birthdays in institution and never have their special day acknowledged at all. It is just another day that blends into all the other days. But at Los Gozosos they are a part of a family…and that makes all the difference. And that difference was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Every child should have their birthday celebrated.
This experience was just another of a long series of confirmations from God that our move to Guatemala to open a family-based home for orphans with special needs is exactly what God wants. And during this long wait to sell our home, it was exactly what I needed.
There is a gentle rain falling, the day is cooling, and I am tired. So I leave you with a few more images of our day. Blessings from Antigua!
